Parental alienation is a type of abuse by one parent who “programs” the child or children of the marriage to denigrate or “target” the other parent in an effort to undermine and interfere with the child’s relationship with that parent. This syndrome is often a sign of the offending parent’s inability to separate from the couple’s conflict and focus on the child’s needs. Rather, the offending parent uses the children in his or her war against the other parent.